DÁIL SKETCH:MINISTER FOR Health Mary Harney celebrated her 57th birthday yesterday far from home but with the words of her Dáil colleagues echoing in the New Zealand air. The news that it was her birthday came courtesy of Fine Gael's PJ Sheehan.

“Perhaps the Tánaiste, Mary Coughlan, will pass on my best wishes to the Minister on her birthday today,’’ he said.

It was the only positive reference to Harney from the Opposition benches as the Tallaght hospital X-ray controversy led to a long and heated Order of Business.

Ceann Comhairle Séamus Kirk adjourned proceedings for 15 minutes to allow tempers to cool.

Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin wanted the Minister summoned home to deal with the crisis. His tone suggested that humble pie rather than birthday cake would be on the menu.

“Have no doubt about it, if the host people in New Zealand were aware of the backdrop to her presence in that country, they would be incredulous that she was there.’’ Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny wanted yesterday’s sitting extended to allow for a debate on the controversy. He was supported by Labour leader Eamon Gilmore. Gilmore was scathing about the Minister’s two-week sojourn in New Zealand.

It was, he said, “an itinerary that, according to the newspapers, reads more like The Lord of the Rings trail than it does like a state visit . . . the only thing missing is dinner hosted by Bilbo Baggins’’.

Fine Gael’s Padraic McCormack said: “Leadership is missing in action, like the Minister.’’ Gilmore wanted to know to whom the Minister’s responsibilities had been transferred to in her absence.

Coughlan conferred with colleagues Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan and Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern. She said that responsibilities were delegated only when the Minister for Finance was abroad. “The Minister will be here so there will be no delegation order.’’

Lenihan nodded and smiled at the Opposition, knowing that he will be staying in Ireland for St Patrick’s Day and free of accusations of junketeering.

Defending Harney, the Tánaiste said: “It is also appropriate to say that it is easy for members to personalise issues and to use opportunities like this, unpalatable as they might like to hear it from me, to use the distresses of patients for political opportunism.’’

Coughlan complained about how the row was causing a long delay in getting the day’s business under way. She had already missed a number of appointments outside the House.

Kenny suggested that had she not opposed a debate on the situation in Tallaght hospital, matters would have been expedited. Some hours after the Tánaiste’s appeal for greater efficiency, the House adjourned until 2.30pm on Tuesday, March 23rd. Meanwhile, despite the distance between the Minister for Health and her Dáil colleagues yesterday, she is unlikely to forget her 57th birthday.